Ja’s tourism partners consider island a safe destination- Madden-Greig Loop Jamaica

Black Immigrant Daily News

Jamaican hotelier and President of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), Nicola Madden-Greig, says the United States’ level-three travel advisory for Jamaica has had minimal impact on the island’s tourism sector.

In fact, the tourism official has stated that the industry’s partners consider the island to be a safe destination.

“… While that warning is there and exists, it has not impacted our travel arrival numbers in any significant way,” declared Madden-Greig.

The CHTA president, who was speaking on the state of the Caribbean travel industry at a recent virtual meeting of the Rotary Club of Mona, St Andrew, however said despite the fallout from the warning being minimal on the sector, the country must bolster its efforts to fight crime.

While that is being done by those tasked with doing so, she stated that the country must do more to “sell” or promote its positive aspects.

In the latest travel advisory updated on Wednesday, October 5, US citizens were warned against travelling to Clarendon, Hanover, Kingston and St Andrew, all of Montego Bay, St Ann, St Catherine, St James, and Westmoreland, due to crime.

According to the US State Department, violent crimes, such as home invasions, armed robberies, sexual assaults and homicides, are common in Jamaica.

Though the travel warning has been in place in Jamaica over the years, Madden-Greig emphasised that the island’s tourism partners recognise that the country is a very safe destination for visitors.

“We have had that travel warning, and we’ve been at level three or level four over the years for various reasons. Through the pandemic, we were at the highest level and visitors still came also in record numbers,” she said.

“So, it (the travel advisory) can damper potential visitors, but generally, Jamaica has been very good at communicating to the market exactly what is happening on the ground.

“Fortunately, the situations that happen in Jamaica right now, which are now really quite sad, doesn’t necessarily impact the visitor, and that is the reputation we have in the visitor market and with(in) the travel and tourism industry,” the seasoned hotelier indicated.

“… Our partners, they consider Jamaica a safe destination,” Madden-Greig stressed.

But she said the country must tackle the issue of crime and promote its positive attributes.

“Obviously, the kind of crime we have in Jamaica is not something that we should tolerate. It needs to be addressed, because as a small island state, we shouldn’t be having these challenges,” Madden-Greig indicated.

“… But sometimes we have to be also careful, in a sense, of what we communicate, and it is important that while we have to solve a problem, we don’t, at the same time, contribute to the problem,” she warned.

Added the tourism official: “So, we have to sell our positives, (and) we have to ensure that we continue to provide employment for our many nationals.

“Yes, some of the news that is coming out is not good, but at the same time, we have to work towards the solution while continuing to ensure that our industry does well.”

Madden-Greig suggested, as well, that it is the responsibility of all Jamaicans “to move for permanent change” relative to the crime situation locally.

NewsAmericasNow.com